Louver adjusting mechanism



May 31, 1966 A. H. EBERHART LOUVER ADJUSTING MEGHANI SM 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Oct. 12, 1964 INVENTOR Arrhur H. Eberhcn Y glw ATTORNEY y 1966 A. H. EBERHART 3,253,531

LOUVER ADJUSTING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 12, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R 3e w 36 l l 45 E i g FIG.7.

FIG.6.

United States Patent The present invention relates to adjustable louver assemblies such as may be used to control the direction and flow of air through an aperture.

It is well known to provide air conditioning cabinets with adjustable louver assemblies to control the flow of conditioned air through an aperture of the cabinet from within the cabinet. It is of course desirable to provide a simple yet sturdy adjusting mechanism for the louvers and it is usually desired that an assembly of louvers be adjustable in such manner that individual sets of louvers grouped in the assembly are individually adjustable. For maximum control effectiveness each of the louver sets should be completely adjustable to throw air with adjustable angle in a selected one of two different general directions as desired. However, when such louver sets are applied to room air conditioner cabinets such as may be used in motels or the like it may be desirable to enable the transient occupant to adjust only the angle of throw and not be able to change the general direction of throw of the air from that which may be basically determined by the motel operator.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved adjustable louver assembly which is simple in construction, reliable in operation, and easy to adjust.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an improved louver assembly having a plurality of sets of adjustable louvers that are connected to be ganged for simultaneous angle of throw angle adjustments but that may be easily disconnected for individual direction of throw adjustment of each set of louvers relative to the others in a manner not readily obvious unless the adjusting person knows the construction of the louver adjusting mechanism.

In accordance with the invention, a louver frame is provided with means to pivotally support a plurality of elongated louver vane sets in parallel relation to each other along their long axes. Each louver vane set is formed with a plurality of louver vanes angularly positions to each other along the long axis of the vane set so that rotation of the vane set within an angle of 180 about its long axis causes a change in the angle of throw for the vanes and continued rotation for an additional angle of 180", not only changes the angle of throw but the general direction of air throw of the vanes. A manually movable pivotal and slidable gang bar is arranged to be normally connected to respective ends of each louver vane set in a manner such that slidable movement of the gang bar causes simultaneous or ganged rotational movement of each louver vane set within an angle of rotation of 180. As previously mentioned, the gang bar is also pivotally movable but interlocked to be pivotally movable only at a predetermined slidable position thereof in an unobvious manner to a position disconnected from the respective ends of each louver vane set so that each set may be individually rotated through any rotational angle including 360 and thereafter be reganged when the gang 'bar is again pivotally moved back to the normal interconnecting position. Thus, each louver vane set may be individually adjusted in an unobvious manner to change its general direction of throw relative to othervane sets Whose angles of throw within the selected direction may still be simultaneously adjusted by the slidable movement of the gang bar member.

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Further objects, features and the attendant advantages 'of the invention will be apparent with reference to the following specification and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a louver frame embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the gang bar end of the louver assembly with the gang bar shown in the pivoted disconnected position instead of the normal connected and ganged position of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary exploded perspective of the gang bar end of the louver vane assembly to show the details of the gang bar interconnecting and interlocking arrangements;

FIG. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1 with the gang bar in the connected position;

FIG. 5 is a section similar to FIG. 4 but with the gang bar disconnected;

FIG. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of FIG. 1 with the gang bar in the connected position; and

FIG. 7 is a section similar to FIG. 6 but with the gang bar disconnected.

Referring now to the drawings, a louver frame comprising side members 10, 11, an intermediate cross member 12 and an end cross member 13 is fragmentarily shown. A plurality of elongated sets of louver vanes such as generally shown at 14, 15 and 16 are each provided with end pivot projections such as shown at 17, 18 for the vane set 14 whereby each vane set is pivotally supported between the frame cross members 12, 13 for pivotal rotation about their long axes. As most clearly shown by FIG. 3 of the drawings each vane set such as the vane set 14 is formed with a central web portion 20 and a plurality of angularly positioned vane portions such as shown at 21, 22 so that angular rotation of each vane set about its long axis will change the angle of throw of the vanes and/ or the general direction of throw depending upon the degree of rotation of the vane set. FIGURE 1 of the drawings shows vane sets 14 and 15 throwing in one general direction with vane set 16 throwing in the opposite general direction but interconnected for simultaneous adjustment of the angle of throw in the selected directions as will be now described in more detail.

A slidable and pivotal gang bar 30 is interposed in the louver frame assembly between the frame end cross member 13 and the respective ends of the louver vane sets 14, 15 and 16. A leaf spring member 31 or other suitable spring means is positioned as shown to normally urge the gang bar 30 to the normal pivotal position whereby the recesses 32, 33 and 34 engage vane set ganging projections at the end of each vane set such as the gauging projections 35 and 36. With the vane set projections received in the respective gang bar recesses 32, 33 and 34, a sliding movement of the gang bar 30 by means of the thumb hold 37 will cause a limited simultaneous rotation of each vane set about its long axis to change the angle of throw but not the direction of throw.

When the gang bar 30 is in a predetermined slidable position only such as the intermediate position shown by FIG. 1, it may be pivotally moved back towards the frame end cross member 13 to the position shown by FIGS. 2, 5 and 7 of the drawings with the recesses 32, 33 and 34 out of engagement with the vane set gauging projections such as 35 and 36 at the respective ends of the vane sets so that each vane set 14, 15 or 16 may be individually rotated about its long axis and pivots such as the pivots 17 and 18. Thus a given vane set may be rotated through a full angle to change the general direction of throw. It will be noted that interlocking projections 38, 39 on the end cross member 13 must be received in the respective recesses 40, 41 of the gang bar 30 when the gang bar 30 is pivotally moved from the normal interconnecting position of FIG. 6 to the disconnect position ofFIG. 7 and thus the pivotal movement of the gang bar is interlocked and prevented unless the gang bar is in the predetermined intermediate sliding position only. It will also be noted that the interlock projections 38 and 39 are not obvious in the assembled relation of the louvers so that unless the person attem ting to adjust the louver sets knows the detailed construction of the louver assembly, he will not normally be able to disconnect the individual louver sets bearing in mind that the spring 31 constrains the gang bar 30 to remain in the normal interconnecting pivotal position shown by FIGS. 4 and 6 of the drawing. Of course each louver vane set must be provided with oppositely positioned gang projections such as shown at 42, 43 to permit the gauging interconnection of the vanes with the recesses 32, 33 and 34 for opposite directions of throw. In order to limit the pivotal and slidable movement of the gang bar 30 the hook portions 45, 46 are received in the slots 47, 48 of the frame end cross member 13.

Various modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention.

I claim as my invention: 1. An adjustable ganged louver assembly comprising: a frame; a plurality of elongated louver vane sets; means to pivotally support each of said sets in parallel relation to each other along their central long axes in said frame in a manner to permit rotation of said sets about their long axes; a gang bar; means mounting said gang bar on said frame adjacent one end of each of said parallel supported sets for slidable movement along said ends of said sets, and pivotal movement toward and away from said ends; means connecting said ends of said sets, along eccentric longitudinal axes of said sets, to said gang bar so that said slidable movement of said gang bar efiects pivotal movement of said sets about their central long axes; and means biasing said gang bar into a normal position maintaining said eccentric connections, said biasing means being yieldable to permit said pivotal movement of said gang bar and the release of said eccentric connections to permit rotation of said sets, individual- 1y, about their longitudinal axes to a reversed position. 2. The assembly of claim 1 including: means carried by said frame and said gang bar disposed to provide a complementary fit in a given slidable position only of said gang bar relative to said frame to permit said pivotal movement away from said louver vane set ends to release said eccentric connections. 3. The assembly of claim 2 in which: said gang bar is' provided with a number of spaced recesses equal in number to the number of said louver vane sets and spaced from each other by a distance equal to the parallel spacing of said sets; and each of said sets is provided with a projection adapted to be received in a respective one of said recesses when said gang bar is in its normally biased position to effect said eccentric connections, and to be released from respective ones of said recesses when said gang bar is pivotally moved away from said normally biased position.

4. The assembly of claim 2 in which:

said means carried by said frame and said gang bar to provide said complementary fit is comprised of at least oneframe projection on said frame and one recess on said gang bar whereby said frame projection may be received in said recess to permit pivotal movement of said gang bar from its normally biased position only when said gang bar is in said given slidable position.

5. A louver and vane assembly comprising:

a frame including end members;

a plurality of louver blades having a series of spaced, obliquely-disposed vanes on opposite faces of said blades, said blades extending between said end members;

means mounting said louver blades in said frame for pivotal movement about their central longitudinal axes;

a gang bar;

means mounting said gang bar on said frame at the end of said louver blades for slidable movement in one direction along said louver blade ends, and for movement of said bar in another direction transverse to said one direction and away from said louver "blade ends;

means connecting the ends of said louver blades to said bar along eccentric axes of said louver blades to efiiect ganged pivotal movement of said louver blades by said slidable movement; and

means biasing said gang bar toward said louver blades to normally effect engagement of said eccentric connections, said biasing means being yieldable in a direction away from said louver blade ends to permit disengagement of said eccentric connections.

6. An assembly according to claim 5 including:

means carried 'by said frame and said gang bar disposed to provide a complementary fit in a given slidable position only of said gang bar relative to said frame to permit said pivotal movement away from said louver blade ends to release said eccentric connections.

7. An assembly according to claim 5 wherein:

the oblique disposition of said series of vanes varies progressively along at least a substantial portion of the length of said blades.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1941 Bailey et al 98-110 2/1946 Davies 98-ll0 WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner.

JOHN F. OCONNOR, Examiner. 

1. AN ADJUSTABLE GANGED LOUVER ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: A FRAME; A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED LOUVER VANE SETS; MEANS TO PIVOTALLY SUPPORT EACH OF SAID SETS IN PARALLEL RELATION TO EACH OTHER ALONG THEIR CENTRAL LONG AXES IN SAID FRAME IN A MANNER TO PERMIT ROTATION OF SAID SETS ABOUT THEIR LONG AXES; A GANG BAR; MEANS MOUNTING SAID GANG BAR ON SAID FRAME ADJACENT ONE END OF EACH OF SAID PARALLEL SUPPORTED SETS FOR SLIDABLE MOVEMENT ALONG SAID ENDS OF SAID SETS, AND PIVOTAL MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID ENDS; MEANS CONNECTING SAID ENDS OF SAID SETS, ALONG ECCENTRIC LONGITUDINAL AXES OF SAID SETS, TO SAID GANG BAR SO THAT SAID SLIDABLE MOVEMENT OF SAID GANG BAR EFFECTS PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SETS ABOUT THEIR CENTRAL LONG AXES; AND MEANS BIASING SAID GANG BAR INTO A NORMAL POSITION MAINTAINING SAID ECCENTRIC CONNECTIONS, SAID BIASING MEANS BEING YIELDABLE TO PERMIT SAID PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID GANG BAR AND THE RELEASE OF SAID ECCENTRIC CONNECTIONS TO PERMIT ROTATION OF SAID SETS, INDIVIDUALLY, ABOUT THEIR LONGITUDINAL AXES TO A REVERSED POSITION. 